Independent candidates will present a challenge to the major parties in rural and regional areas in Saturday’s federal election, according to a political scientist from James Cook University. 

One in three votes in the 2022 federal election were for an independent candidate or minor party, the highest percentage in almost a century. 

More than 55 independents are standing in the May 3 election, with a community independent running in every state and territory across a quarter of electorates in Australia. The Regional Voices Fund is supporting at least 12 candidates running in regional areas. 

The growing independent trend was highlighted by Kate Hulett’s narrow loss in the race for the historically labor-held Fremantle seat in the recent state election. 

Ms Hulett drew mass appeal from local voters with her community focus on environment, people and governmental integrity. 

James Cook University adjunct principal research fellow Maxine Newlands expects a further increase in votes for independents and minor parties in traditionally safe seats in the May federal election. 

She believes independent candidates are likely to attract votes in rural and regional areas by focusing on hyper-local issues the major parties are failing to address. 

“The reason they’re focusing locally is around economics and making sure funding flows to those regions, particularly in health but also ideas around climate change,” she says. 

“In some parts of the country, we’re having floods but other parts we’re seeing very high levels of drought. For them it’s about giving voice to people who are seeing the landscape change.”

Dr Newlands says access to health is still a important issue. 

“If you live in regional or rural Australia, it can be a day’s trek if you need to get treatment for cancer or access to facilities like kidney dialysis, issues like that are becoming more and more prominent in peoples lives and for voters it’s on their minds.” 

Experienced urologist Sue Chapman is the community independent contesting the Forrest seat in South-West WA this May. 

The first-time candidate is campaigning to deliver more accessible healthcare to the regions and pledges to pursue necessary long-term funding from the government. 

“The expansion of Bunbury Hospital is long-overdue and much-needed. Healthy communities need quality, affordable healthcare close to where they live,” De Chapman says. 

“Our state and federal governments had no problem building a huge freeway to ferry people a few minutes faster from Perth to our world-class tourism destinations. Yet, they turn a blind eye to the genuine concerns of our local communities when it comes to accessing quality regional healthcare.” 

The Forrest seat has been held by the same party for the past 52 years with long-term appointments a common fixture of many regional and rural electorates around the country. 

Small-town teacher, now community independent candidate, Michelle Milthorpe hopes to challenge the Farrer seat MP Sussan Ley has held for the past 24 years. 

“Whether it’s health, education, water buybacks, childcare, migration or a myriad of other issues, the people of Farrer feel left behind. We have been in a safe Liberal Party seat, so we don’t get the attention of marginal electorates and for the same reason, nor do we get the funding we deserve,” Ms Milthorpe says.

She believes the regional New South Wales electorate needs greater representation in federal government to reflect its citizens, saying herself and members of her community often feel ignored by the lack of effective policy from the major parties. 

Rural and regional WA is home to a key example of small-town locals trying to get their voices heard this election. 

The looming national ban of live sheep exports has received considerable backlash from voters in rural and regional WA and remains a divisive issue. 

Pro-export lobby group Keep the Sheep has mounted a campaign which has included a truck convoy along Perth’s major roads on March 28, a petition with more than 110,000 signatures and targeting positions from independents like Curtin MP Kate Chaney to contest the ban.

Keep the Sheep founder Ben Sutherland says voters should find out where independent candidates stand on the issue.

“There’s a lot of pain in the rural sector at the moment and we encourage all of our supporters to reach out and ask their independents where they stand on this issue,” Mr Sutherland says. 

“I’m still not entirely sold on Kate Chaney yet. She’s finally come out saying she is against the ban but she doesn’t want to do it off the back of Keep the Sheep, she wants to do it independently so that’s fine.” 

Mr Sutherland believes independent candidates are not powerful enough to swing parliamentary decisions but it is important to understand their policy and the effects of preferential voting. 

“They’re pawns in the game of the major parties obviously between Liberal and Labor. I don’t believe they have any power at all,” he says.

“But there are independents who are in support of the live export and there are other independents who don’t support the live export and you really need to think about how they’re going to effect you when you’re voting.”

Dr Newlands agrees independent candidates who take a side on these issues in regional areas may see the echo in preference voting. 

“I think people in Australia are definitely looking for alternatives and looking at our preferential voting scheme and they may want to put first, not who they’re voting for but sort of to make a political point,” Dr Newlands says. 

Australians will take to the polls this coming saturday for what looks to be an interesting affair.

To find out which candidates are running in your electorate click here.